Neuroimaging studies of a patient's brain, such as those obtained using single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) or Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), are often used in the diagnosis, treatment, and study of chronic brain diseases. As just some examples, a physician may perform a brain scan to determine a diagnosis for a patient that suffered a serious head injury, to prepare a treatment plan for a patient with Alzheimer's disease, or to assess whether a particular pharmaceutical is helping a patient who has bipolar disorder.
Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) have become increasingly popular among physicians and other health care professionals recently. In general, CDSS may refer to computer hardware, software, and/or systems that can be used to provide clinicians, staff, patients, or other individuals with knowledge and person-specific information, intelligently filtered or presented at appropriate times, to enhance health and health care. For example, a physician may use CDSS to determine a diagnosis for a patient who has certain symptoms. CDSS often include at least three component parts: a knowledge basis, an inference engine, and a communication mechanism. The knowledge base may comprise compiled information about symptoms, pharmaceuticals, and other medical information. The inference engine may comprise formulas, algorithms, etc. for combining information in the knowledge base with actual patient data. The communication mechanism may be ways to input patient data and to output helpful information based on the knowledge base and inference engine. For example, information may be inputted by a physician using a computer keyboard or tablet and displayed to the physician on a computer monitor or portable device.